Department for Transport

Large Goods Vehicles: Republic of Ireland

lord morris of aberavon: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 17 July (HL9180), what is the process for collecting the Heavy GoodsVehicle Levy (HGV) levyfrom lorries from the Republic of Ireland; and what assessment they have made of whether, andif so to what extent, lorries from the Republic of Irelandevade the HGVlevy.

baroness sugg: Lorry drivers from the Republic of Ireland pay for the HGV Levy in the same ways as users from other countries. The levy can be paid online, at a number of official Point of Sale (PoS) locations, at driver self-serve facilities offered by some operators and through a number of booking agents. The majority of levy purchases are via the HGV Levy website. The overall compliance rate for foreign vehicles is high, according to figures collected by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency in Great Britain, at 95%. The Department for Transport has not produced equivalent compliance rates by country of origin, but there are indications that vehicles from Ireland in Great Britain have a very similar compliance rate compared to vehicles from other countries.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that HS2 follows it own procedures fairly and comprehensively on issues of land and property access, and compensation.

baroness sugg: HS2 was set-up as the delivery body for the High Speed 2 rail project in 2009 to oversee the delivery of the new railway. The relationship between the Department for Transport (DfT) and HS2 Ltd is underpinned by the Development Agreement and Framework Document, which have been revised as the project has progressed. Under the agreement and the Framework Document there is rigorous and regular reporting and audit activity as you would expect for any arm’s length body – including on land and property (L & P) matters. Ultimately it is for the HS2 Ltd Board and Executive to ensure that the company complies with its wider set of obligations and internal established operating procedures (including those for L & P).

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Complaints

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many complaints about HS2 have been submitted to the Independent HS2 Construction Commissioner; of those, how many have been (1) upheld, and (2) rejected; and whether HS2 has complied withany recommendations subsequently made by the Commissioner.

baroness sugg: The Independent HS2 Construction Commissioner investigates any construction complaint that has not been resolved under the first step of HS2 Ltd’s complaints process. This process is available online at: https://www.hs2.org.uk/how-to-complain/. To date, three construction complaints have been referred to the Independent Construction Commissioner to carry out an independent review. Of these three complaints, one has been upheld and two are currently open and under investigation. The recommendations made by the Independent Construction Commissioner in relation to the one upheld complaint have been accepted by HS2 Ltd.

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

lord campbell-savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government how manyvehicles have been clamped for non-payment of road tax in each year since 2011.

baroness sugg: The volume of vehicles clamped or impounded for non-payment of road tax for each financial year from 2011 is detailed in the table below. 2011-1276,4792012-1354,9982013-1456,2492014-1577,4042015-16**115,4352016-17146,4052017-18160,0092018-19*68,645 *please note: 2018-19 figures are up to and including August 2018.** the paper tax disc was abolished in October 2014.

Motor Vehicles

lord campbell-savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government what considerationthey have given to the use of a segmented windscreen triple disc to indicatethe dateof expiry of MOT, insurance and road fundtax each separately.

baroness sugg: The Government believes that the use of technology is a more effective way of preventing and detecting the unlawful use of untaxed, uninsured and untested vehicles. The police has access to the information held by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and the insurance industry to allow them to check compliance at the roadside. Therefore, there are no plans to introduce a windscreen disc to indicate the expiry date of MoT, insurance and vehicle excise duty.

Bus Services

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people travelled by bus in (1) 2015, and (2) 2017, in (a) London, (b) the Metropolitan areas, and (3) the shire counties.

baroness sugg: The table below shows the number of passenger journeys on local bus services for London, the Metropolitan areas and the shire counties (non-metropolitan areas) from 2014/15 to 2016/17. Passenger journeys on local bus services by metropolitan area status and country (in millions)YearLondonEnglish metropolitan areasEnglish non-metropolitan areas2014/152,3649761,2882015/162,2939491,2662016/172,2409381,260Source: DfT Local bus passenger journeys (BUS0103)

Bus Services: Finance

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the total financial support received by the bus industry from public funds has changed between 2015 and 2017.

baroness sugg: Total net support (at current prices) by central and local government for local bus services in 2015/16 was £2.202 billion. The latest available statistics for 2016/17 show that this figure was £2.207 billion. This support consists of payments for supported services, Bus Service Operators Grant, and concessionary travel reimbursement.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Conditions of Employment

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they propose to take following the call of the Director of Labour Market Enforcement on 18 August for further measures to tackle violations of employment legislation.

lord henley: The Government is carefully considering all 37 recommendations contained within the Director’s Labour Market Enforcement Strategy 2018-19 and we will respond in due course.

Unfair Practices: Competition

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to continue to sanctionin accordance with EU law large corporations who abuse their dominant market position after Brexit.

lord henley: The Competition Act 1998 contains prohibitions equivalent to those in EU law. After EU exit, companies found to abuse a dominant market position in the UK will be sanctioned under the Competition Act.

Renewable Energy

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of the UK's energy supply is derived from renewable sources; and what are those sources.

lord henley: The Government publishes the Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) on an annual basis. Table 6.7, ‘Renewable sources used to indicate progress under the 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive’ (below) has the latest proportion and the breakdown of renewable energy sources- including electricity, heat, and transport:  Thousand tonnes of oil equivalent   20132014201520162017 Electricity generation component:  Normalised hydro generation (1) (2)445448383r427r470 Normalised wind generation (3)2,2282,7143,222r3,499r4,199 Electricity generation from renewables other than wind,  hydro, and compliant biofuels1,7302,2953,174r3,506r3,732 Electricity generation from compliant biofuels--123 Total renewable generation from all compliant sources4,4025,4576,779r7,432r8,401 Total Gross Electricity Consumption (2)31,79830,58730,721r30,454r30,135 Percentage of electricity from renewable sources13.8%17.8%22.1%24.4%27.9%Heat component:  Renewable energy for heating and cooling2,3872,4683,469r4,034r4,254 Total Gross energy consumption for heating and cooling59,18052,99755,243r55,823r54,979 Percentage of heating and cooling energy from renewable sources4.0%4.7%6.3%7.2%7.7%Transport component (excluding air transport):  Road transport renewable electricity1123r4 Non-road transport renewable electricity8190-r-r0 Biofuels (restricted to those meeting sustainability criteria from 2011) (4)1,0451,176943993r921 Total electricity consumption in transport374387388r403r411 Total petrol and diesel consumption in transport36,77737,27038,186r39,101r39,142 Total transport component numerator (including weighted components) (5)1,8242,0901,780r2,004r1,906 Total transport component denominator (including weighted components) (5)38,89439,65340,248r41,386r41,323 Percentage of transport energy from renewable sources (5)4.7%5.3%4.4%4.8%4.6%Overall directive target:  Renewables used for:  Electricity generation4,3215,3666,777r7,429r8,397 Heating and Cooling2,3872,4683,469r4,034r4,254 Transport biofuels (restricted to those meeting sustainability criteria from 2011)1,1271,267945r996r925 Total Final Consumption of Renewable Energy ["Row A"]7,8359,10111,191r12,459r13,575Final Electricity Consumption (6)26,82025,64825,703r25,719r25,463 Transport Final Energy Consumption (including air transport) (7)50,10750,72051,507r52,575r52,950 Heating and Cooling Final Energy Consumption59,17052,98855,234r55,813r54,969 Total Final Energy Consumption (8)136,097129,356132,444r134,107r133,381--  plus Distribution losses for electricity2,2832,3602,466r2,296r2,212 plus Distribution losses for heat00--1 plus Consumption of electricity in the electricity and heat generation sectors1,5351,4171,4321,314r1,326 plus Consumption of heat in the electricity and heat generation sectors00--1 Gross Final Energy Consumption (GFEC)139,915133,133136,342r137,717r136,922 of which Air transport11,81211,79811,188r11,283r11,659 Air transport as a proportion of GFEC8.44%8.86%8.21%8.19%8.52% Air transport cap specificed in Directive6.18%6.18%6.18%6.18%6.18% Capped air transport8,6478,2288,426r8,511r8,462 Capped Gross Final Energy Consumption (CGFEC) ["Row B"]  (9)136,750129,562133,581r134,945r133,725Headline Directive percentage : Renewable Energy Consumption as a percentage of Capped Gross Final Energy Consumption ["Row A" divided by "Row B"]5.7%7.0%8.4%9.2%10.2%   (1) Based on a 15 year average hydro load factor.  (2) Excludes generation from pumped storage.  (3) Based on a 5 year average wind load factor.  (4) For the current year, an estimate has been made for the proportion of biofuels meeting the sustainability criteria (5) Some sustainable biofuels are double weighted in the numerator of this calculation, as specified by the Directive. (5) Final Electricity Consumption is Gross Electricity Consumption minus generators' own use of electricity and losses. (7) Includes consumption of petrol and diesel, biofuels, other oil products, and coal. (8) Total final consumption less non-energy use, as shown in Annex I, Table I.1, available on the BEIS website. (9) This row includes adjustments for loses, and generators own use of electricity, combined with the capping mechanism for air transport as specified in the Directive.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Israel: Gaza

lord ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding its access to, and development of, Gaza’s oil and gas reserves.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK strongly supports the development of the Gazan gas fields. Over recent years, we have had extensive discussions with the Palestinian authorities on the development of the gas fields for the benefit of the Palestinian economy. The UK is not backing Israeli control of the gas fields. We have, however, been in discussions with the Israeli authorities to encourage them to enable the exploitation of these fields.

Saudi Arabia: Canada

baroness helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia following the imposition of trade sanctions by Saudi Arabia against Canada.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have been in touch with both Governments to express our concern over the dispute and its potential implications. We have, and will continue to, urge restraint and de-escalation through the appropriate diplomatic channels.

Israel: Gaza

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatrepresentations they are making to the government of Israel (1) for the release of the vessels Al-Awda and Freedom, which were seized in July and August, (2)for the release into Gaza of the medical supplies carriedon the vessels, and (3) forthe return of the personal belongings of the individuals onthe vessels who have been released.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Whilst we have not made specific representations to the Israeli authorities about the release of the vessels, Al-Awda and Freedom, officials in London and at the British Embassy in Tel Aviv discussed the flotilla with the Israeli authorities. The Deputy Head of Mission raised the issue of personal belongings with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories informed Embassy officials that supplies carried on the vessels were delivered into the Gaza Strip via the Erez crossing. We continue to call on the Israeli Government to ease restrictions on Gaza and for Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Egypt to work together to ensure a durable solution for Gaza.

Libya: Immigrants

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what international action they are participating in to prevent exploitations, abuse and maltreatment of migrants and refugees in Libya (1) in detention camps, and (2) in the local economy.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK is at the forefront of international efforts to support Libya’s political stability and reform. As part of the Department for International Development’s £75 million migration programme working along the Central Mediterranean route, up to £5 million will be allocated to humanitarian assistance and protection for migrants and refugees in Libya. Alongside this, we continue to help fund the European Union Trust Fund, which works in a number of countries, including Libya, where it focuses on improving conditions for migrants in detention centres. Alongside this the UK has also committed to increase efforts to tackle smuggling and trafficking by building the capacity of Libyan law enforcement agencies, and taking steps to hold those responsible to account. In June 2018, the UK co-designated UN sanctions against six Libyan and Eritrean traffickers along with France, US, Germany and the Netherlands.

Israel: Druze

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the religious and civic freedoms of the Druze minority in Israel.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Freedom of religion and belief continues to be a priority for this Government. We are pleased that the Israeli Government, including Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Rivlin, have publicly highlighted their commitment to ensuring freedom of religion and belief in Israel.

Palestinians: Christianity

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have madeof the religious and civic freedoms of Maronites in Palestine.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Our Consulate General in Jerusalem regularly meets a variety of religious leaders in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and has stressed to the Palestinian Authority the importance of protecting freedom of religion and belief. Freedom of religion and belief remains a human rights priority for this Government. It is a fundamental freedom which underpins many other human rights.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on11 April 2017 (HL6378), what steps they are planning to take to secure Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's permanent release and return to the UK, in the light of continued concerns for her health and reports that she collapsed in prison.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We remain very concerned about all our dual nationals detained in Iran. We continue to raise their cases with the Iranian Government at every opportunity, as the Minister for the Middle East did with the Deputy Foreign Minister in Tehran recently. We will make decisions in line with what we believe will produce the best outcomes in their cases. I refer the noble Lord to the Foreign Secretary’s comments in the House of Commons on 4 September.

Iraq: Yazidis

the earl of sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with other EU and US aid administrations, and the Iraqi Kurdish authorities, about the rehabilitation of Yazidi families in Sinjar and the possibility of the creation of a cemetery and memorial to the victims of genocide.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Officials from the Department for International Development (DFID) hold regular discussions with EU and US aid administrations regarding assisting Yezidi communities. DFID and Foreign and Commonwealth Office representatives regularly highlight the needs of minorities at senior levels within the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government. We recently discussed the issue with the Iraqi General Secretary of the Council of Ministers, who has created a team that is working with UN Development Programme on this issue. On 2 August the UK's Ambassador to Iraq attended a commemoration of the fourth anniversary of Daesh atrocities against Yezidis in Sinjar, where he reiterated the importance of justice, respect and human rights.

Department of Health and Social Care

Public Health

baroness barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what has been the process for developing Public Health England’s upcoming reproductive health action plan referenced on page 5 of Public Health England’s A consensus statement: reproductive health is a public issue; and when will that action plan be published.

baroness barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Public Health England will consult external stakeholders during the development of the reproductive health action plan referenced on page 5 of Public Health England’s A consensus statement: reproductive health is a public issue.

baroness barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to implement the proposals in Public Health England’s A consensus statement: reproductive health is a public issue, published on 26 June.

lord o'shaughnessy: Public Health England (PHE) has created a task and finish group made up of representatives from organisations across the sector including the Department, NHS England, the Local Government Association, the Association of Directors of Public Health, the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health, the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal College of Midwives, the Royal College of Gynaecology, Brook, and the Family Planning Association. The task and finish group will work together to inform the development and implementation of the reproductive health action plan. Alongside this, PHE is also working with a user reference group, made up of women who have experienced severe reproductive health issues in order to ensure the action plan reflects service users’ needs. The action plan is due to be published in March 2019.In addition, PHE’s regional centres are developing an approach for localising the national research conducted and developing locally appropriate actions in addition to those being driven nationally. PHE are consulting with commissioners and providers in developing the action plan through workshops and presentations across the country and to ensure implementation of the action plan from 2019 onwards.

Public Health

baroness barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding is being made available to Public Health England to support the implementation of proposals contained in their report A consensus statement: reproductive health is a public issue, published on 26 June.

baroness barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much additional funding, if any, is being made available to local authorities to support the implementation of proposals in Public Health England’s A consensus statement: reproductive health is a public issue, published on 26 June.

lord o'shaughnessy: Implementation of the proposals in Public Health England’s A consensus statement: reproductive health is a public issue will be funded from existing budgets.Funding allocations for sexual and reproductive health are not set centrally by the Department and will be determined within the organisations concerned.

Postnatal Depression

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O'Shaughnessy on 23 July (HL9378), what steps they intend to take to address the under-diagnosis of maternal mental illness and, in particular, to ensure that those suffering from post-natal depression are diagnosed and able to access treatment.

lord o'shaughnessy: This Government is committed to improving perinatal mental health services for women during pregnancy and in the first postnatal year, so that women are able to access the right care at the right time and close to home. The Department is investing £365 million from 2015/16 to 2020/21 in perinatal mental health services and NHS England is leading a transformation programme to ensure that, by 2020/21, at least 30,000 more women each year are able to access evidence-based specialist mental health care during the perinatal period.A key aim of this transformation programme is to take a preventative approach wherever possible, including: earlier diagnosis and intervention; support for recovery; and reducing avoidable harm.To drive forward change, NHS England is also investing in multidisciplinary perinatal mental health clinical networks across the country, which includes general practitioners as part of the networks. These clinical networks focus on collaborative working to develop local, integrated pathways and to support early identification of those at risk of mental illness in the perinatal period, to enable better outcomes for women in all communities.Looking ahead, we are continuing to work with the National Health Service to develop a 10 year plan for the future of the health service, underpinned by a five-year funding offer which will see the NHS budget grow by over £20 billion a year in real terms by 2023-24. The NHS will work closely with Government to produce the plan, which will set out how the money will be used to deliver our vision for the health service and to ensure every penny is well spent.The plan will be published later this year. Better access to mental health services is one of the priorities to help achieve the Government’s commitment for parity of esteem between mental and physical health. This will be a significant step forward towards improving, and continuing to deliver, high-quality mental health support services.

Health Visitors

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many visits from a health visitor a new mother in England should receive in the three months after giving birth; what is the length of each visit; and how these visits are monitored.

lord o'shaughnessy: Health visitors undertake five mandated visits between the ages of zero to five. Three of these mandated visits occur during the first three months after birth which are the antenatal health visit, new baby review and six to eight-week assessment. The length of each visit will be entirely dependent on the individual needs of the mother and baby. Some families will require additional visits and support, the health visitor will use their professional judgement and public health expertise to determine need and support. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning health visiting services, local monitoring of service delivery and commissioning compliance should be undertaken locally as part of contract management.

Health Visitors

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what training health visitors receive to enable them to identify incipient and actual cases of ante-natal depression, post-natal depression, and other maternal mental health issues.

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what continuous professional development health visitors are required to undertake to enable them to identify incipient and actual cases of ante-natal depression, post-natal depression, and other maternal mental health issues.

lord o'shaughnessy: Health visitors are part of the nursing profession and regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Health visitors are qualified and registered nurses or midwives who have undertaken an approved training programme in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing - Health Visiting.The NMC has the general function of promoting high standards of education and coordinating all stages of education to ensure that health visitors are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential for professional practice, including continuous professional development (CPD). The NMC set the standards of education and training for the nursing profession expected at undergraduate and postgraduate level and approve curricula set by individual higher education institutes. In so doing, they set out the knowledge, skills and behaviours that both postgraduate and undergraduate nurses must be able to demonstrate.CPD is a term used to describe a number of different training and development activities which may be required for the purposes of professional practice in the National Health Service. The NMC requires 35 hours of CPD relevant to scope of practice in the three year period since registration was last renewed, or joining the register.The NMC are in the process of rewriting their standards. For example, in the new pre-registration nursing standards the NMC specify that registrants must have proficiencies in identifying risk and vulnerability, in all settings and across the lifespan and would expect post-natal depression to be included in the curriculum.

Prescription Drugs: Misuse

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will ensure that members of Parliament and members of the House of Lords will have an opportunity to meet with Public Health England to discuss the review of prescribed medicines addiction before it reports.

lord o'shaughnessy: Public Health England (PHE) is open to engagement with hon. Members and noble Lords on this issue.PHE is also in regular contact with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Prescribed Drug Dependence, including presenting at the group’s meetings in Parliament. We expect that this contact will continue.

Prescription Drugs: Misuse

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to secure funding for existing prescribed medicines withdrawal centres.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to increase the number of prescribed medicines withdrawal centres to cover the whole of England.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will ensure that in establishing a 24 hour helpline for people affected by prescribed medicines addiction they will also ensure that adequate services are in place to refer patients to.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will establish a public inquiry into the harmful effects of prescribed benzodiazepine drug dependence over the last 50 years.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Parliamentary under Secretary of State (Steve Brine MP) commissioned Public Health England (PHE) to review the evidence for dependence on, and withdrawal from, prescribed medicines. The review was launched in January 2018 and is due to report in spring 2019 and we await its findings. It is the responsibility of local authorities to commission services, such as the provision of withdrawal centres for addiction to prescribed medicines, to meet assessed local need. The Government currently has no plans to increase the number of these centres.The Government has no plans to introduce a separate national helpline to support people affected by prescribed drug dependence. Help and advice on prescribed drug dependence is already available from the 111 helpline or NHS Choices. People who feel that they might be dependent on either prescribed or over the counter medicines should seek help from a health professional in the first instance (such as a general practitioner or pharmacist).PHE’s review includes prescribed benzodiazepine drug dependence but will not consider evidence further back than 10 years ago. There are no plans to establish a public inquiry into prescribed benzodiazepine drug dependence.

Prescription Drugs: Misuse

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of substance misuse services and, in particular, whether they may bring patients off the use of prescribed medicines too quickly leaving many in a damaged state.

lord o'shaughnessy: Public Health England (PHE) carried out an extensive review of the effectiveness of drug treatment in England. The review gives policy makers and local areas an objective assessment of what drug treatment outcomes are achievable, and compares outcomes in England to the evidence and to other drug treatment systems. An evidence review of outcomes that can be expected of drug misuse treatment in England is attached.Local authorities are responsible for assessing local need for substance misuse treatment and commissioning services to meet these needs. This includes making sure the services follow clinical guidelines in treating people who have dependence problems. The United Kingdom drug treatment clinical guidelines set out guidance for clinicians in managing withdrawal for patients from prescribed medicines.PHE is undertaking a review of the evidence for dependence on, and withdrawal from, prescribed medicines. The review will bring together the best available evidence on effective prevention and treatment of dependence, withdrawal and discontinuation syndrome for each drug category. The review is due to be published in spring 2019.



Drug Misuse Treatment in England Evidence Review
(PDF Document, 1.3 MB)

NHS: Drugs

baroness prosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord O'Shaughnessy on 7 June (HL Deb, col 1405), what assessment they have made of the credibility of the National Institutefor Health andCare Excellence (NICE) process to approve drugs for use by NHS England; and what discussions they have held with NHS England on the subject of the application of NICE standards for Ibrutinib.

lord o'shaughnessy: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) technology appraisal methods and processes are internationally respected and have been developed through periodic review, including extensive engagement with stakeholders, to ensure that they remain fit for purpose.Departmental officials and I have met with NHS England to discuss the treatment criteria relating to the use of ibrutinib for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). NHS England has advised that it develops treatment criteria for cancer and other high cost drugs to support implementation of NICE guidance and to ensure approved treatments are available as intended, with access funded consistently across the country. These criteria are developed by relevant expert clinical advisers, drawn from NHS England’s 42 Clinical Reference Groups (CRGs). These CRGs have been established to support clinical commissioning across the entire specialised commissioning portfolio.NHS England has recently completed a review of the treatment criteria related to the use of ibrutinib for the treatment of CLL which concluded that the criteria should be amended such that ibrutinib can be made available as a treatment option for those patients who have had remission durations of three years or more with their preceding line of therapy. Ibrutinib is now available for National Health Service patients in line with the amended treatment criteria.

Department for Education

Gambling: Education

lord chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what education is provided in schools about the potential adverse mental health risks associated with gambling.

lord agnew of oulton: This Government wants to help all schools deliver a high-quality education to ensure that all young people are equipped with the knowledge they need to prepare them for adult life, including the risks associated with harmful behaviour and addiction. Schools are expected to promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. We know that some schools choose to teach about gambling and addiction in an age-appropriate way, as part of their Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE). The non-statutory PSHE programme of study, published by the PSHE Association includes teaching about gambling (including online) and its psychological and financial impact. There are also organisations that work with schools and children to raise awareness of the risks around gambling, including the Young Gamblers Education Trust. We are proposing to make Health Education compulsory in all state-funded schools, which includes an emphasis on mental wellbeing for both primary and secondary pupils. Pupils should be taught how to critically evaluate when something they do or are involved in has a positive or negative effect on their own or others’ mental health. We are also making Relationships Education compulsory in all primary schools and Relationships and Sex Education compulsory in all secondary schools. We are currently consulting on the draft regulations that will make the subjects compulsory, as well as the accompanying guidance, this can be found at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/pshe/relationships-education-rse-health-education/.

Airbus: North Wales

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to provide alternative apprenticeship opportunities in North Wales if Airbus move their operations to Europe following Brexit.

lord agnew of oulton: Apprenticeships is a devolved policy. The Welsh government have their own arrangements for supporting employers to access and pay for apprenticeships. In the wider context, we are working with the Department for Exiting the European Union to make sure that we fully understand the risks and opportunities that EU exit presents, and the capability of the skills system to respond.

Home Education: GCSE

lord baker of dorking: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many GCSE entries were made for students who were home educated in the 2017–18 academic year.

lord agnew of oulton: Data on the number of children educated at home are not collected centrally. Local authorities may collect such data, but as there is no obligation upon parents to register children as being educated at home, such data will not be complete.

Home Education: Inspections

lord baker of dorking: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many home school inspections were made in the 2017–18 academic year.

lord agnew of oulton: There is no power for local authorities or any other bodies to conduct inspections of the education being provided by parents who elect to educate children at home. Local authorities are under a duty to make arrangements to identify, so far as possible, children who are not attending school and are not receiving a suitable education. In order to do this, a local authority can seek information from parents about home education provision and with parental consent, this process can include visiting the family home to observe the education being provided and assess its suitability for the child concerned. No central record is kept of the number of such visits.

Schools: Standards

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to discourage schools from "gaming"performance table results by entering pupils for inappropriate qualifications.

lord agnew of oulton: The department is clear that schools should support pupils to take the qualifications that are in their individual best interests so that each pupil has the opportunity to fulfil their potential. The methodology and presentation of secondary school performance measures is kept under review, and the department routinely monitor patterns in entries and results. If there is evidence that individual schools have misused qualification entries in order to improve their results in performance tables, which Ofsted strongly discourages, we will not hesitate to take appropriate action in response. For example, the department removed the European Computer Driving Licence from performance tables, as this was used by some schools to boost their Progress 8 scores. The department will review non-GCSE qualifications available for pupils aged 14-16 and will publish a consultation in due course.

Horticulture: Curriculum

baroness fookes: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Ofsted has raised any concerns about the delivery and quality of the horticultural element of the National Curriculum since it was included in the Curriculum.

lord agnew of oulton: Horticulture is not explicitly referenced in the national curriculum for science or geography. Programmes of study do include the expectation that pupils are taught about plants including trees, their structure, how they reproduce and grow, how they are named and classified, photosynthesis, cell biology, the importance of selective breeding in agriculture, and how human processes interact to influence and change landscapes, environments and the climate. Ofsted has not raised any specific concerns about the delivery or quality of these topics.

Primary Education: Class Sizes

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to take action against those infant and junior schools in England which exceed the statutory pupil numbers in their classes.

lord agnew of oulton: The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 limits the size of an infant class to 30 pupils per school teacher. There is no statutory limit for other primary school class sizes. The average infant class contains 27.3 pupils, below the statutory limit for infant class sizes. The School Admissions Code lists categories of children eligible for admission as exceptions to the infant class size legislation. There are only eight such exceptions, including looked after children and children of multiple births. In the small number of cases where infant classes are above the limit, it is almost always as a result of admitting a child under a prescribed exception. The vast majority (96.7%) of infant classes with more than 30 pupils have only one or two additional pupils. Where an infant class exceeds the limit and no exceptions apply, the local authority and the school, where it is its own admission authority, will be in breach of their legal duties. It is expected that most instances of unlawfully large classes can be resolved locally. However, where a school or local authority fails to carry out a duty imposed on them by the Education Acts, the Secretary of State has the power to direct a school to comply with the law.

Academies: Audit

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government who appoints the auditors for multi-academy trusts; and whether the auditors' report is open to inspection by school governors.

lord agnew of oulton: Under the Companies Act (2006), all academy trusts must appoint an auditor. This appointment is for the members of the academy trust, other than in very limited circumstances, whereby the Companies Act permits the appointment to be made by trustees, for example for the academy trust’s first period of account. The auditors’ report is incorporated within the academy trust’s accounts, which must be published on the academy trust’s website and will be available on the Companies House website. This means that the auditors’ report is open to inspection by any member of the general public.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Homelessness: West Sussex

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following their announcement that they aim to eliminate rough sleeping by 2027, what assessment they have made of changes to West Sussex County Council’s Housing Related Support Budget; and whether the closure of Crawley Open House will lead to an increase in street homelessness.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why we have recently published our Rough Sleeping Strategy, which sets out the first steps towards achieving our aim to halve rough sleeping by 2022 and end it altogether by 2027, backed by £100 million of funding over the next two years.We are also committed to working with all local authorities as we move towards a country where no one should sleep rough.Crawley is receiving £470,000 along with Eastbourne, Lewes, Wealden, Rother, Arun, Adur, Worthing, Chichester, Horsham and Hastings as part of our Rough Sleeping Grant to expand their existing rough sleeper pathway until Spring 2019.Crawley will, along with other local authorities, shortly be contacted by the Rough Sleeping Initiative team to explore what additional support and assistance can be provided to help people escape rough sleeping for good in their areas.Over the spending period up to 2020 councils will be able to access more than £200 billion to spend on local services; of this, West Sussex County Council will have available over £2.6 billion. The majority of this funding is non-ringfenced as it is for local authorities, who are independent of central government, to make decisions on spending and manage their budgets in line with locally determined priorities.

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, in the light of their statement reported on 19 August that “work is under way on 70per cent of social housing with unsafe cladding”, to ensure that such work (1) is commenced on the remaining 30per cent, and (2) is carried out on non-social housing.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Remediation start dates will vary depending on a number of factors including the extent of the work needed. This work cannot be done overnight – and it must be done properly. To help expedite the process the Government has agreed to fully fund the removal and replacement of unsafe ACM cladding on residential social housing buildings, 18m and above owned by local authorities and housing associations, with costs estimated at £400 million. For the private sector, the Secretary of State has written to private building owners that do not have any remediation plans in place, urging them to follow the lead from private companies already doing the right thing, by getting on with the task of remediating and not passing on costs to leaseholders.

Neighbourhood Development Plans

lord stunell: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish any impact assessment made when the grant criteria for supporting Neighbourhood Forums preparing Neighbourhood Plans in unparished areas were tightened for the current financial year.

lord stunell: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have plans to put additional support in place to assist the continued development of Neighbourhood Plans in unparished areas and designated high growth or complex areas to compensate for the grant funding withdrawn for the current year.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: In March 2018 Government announced a new four year, £23 million programme to help communities develop neighbourhood plans. Neighbourhood planning groups can access a range of free help, including financial support and planning expertise from trained professionals to guide them through the neighbourhood planning process.The maximum grant available to communities has been increased since the previous programme by £2,000 to £17,000, with eligibility criteria for further professional support now more focussed on the complexity of the proposed plan being developed, rather than the composition of the group. Under the 2018-2022 support programme, specialist support is available to unparished groups to help local people build up knowledge and achieve designation as a Neighbourhood Forum. All groups can also be considered for specific ‘facilitation’ support to overcome some of the unique challenges they face as they progress their plan.Over 2,400 communities across England have started the process of neighbourhood planning, with over 600 plans approved in local referendums. No impact assessment was prepared for the 2018-2022 neighbourhood planning support programme, however achieving best value for money was a key consideration in designing the programme and the eligibility criteria.

Move on Fund

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Move On Fund to help those moving on from hostels and refuges began to operate; and how many units of accommodation it has so far provided.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The first £50 million of funding was released to the Greater London Authority in December of 2016. As funding for housing in London is devolved, the Greater London Authority, as commissioners of this fund, hold the relevant information regarding units of accommodation delivered.The prospectus for the additional £50 million of funding for the rest of England was published alongside the Rough Sleeping Strategy on August 13, the prospectus can be found at - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/move-on-fund

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risks associated with installing combustible window panels on social housing tower blocks.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Infill panels (including window panels and spandrel panels) are part of the building envelope and subject to the Building Regulations requirement that external walls adequately resist the spread of fire over the walls. The Government has recently consulted on banning combustible materials in external wall systems and asked in that consultation if spandrel panels should be included in any such ban. The Government is currently considering the responses to the consultation. In December 2017 the Government issued an advice note for building owners with non-ACM cladding and considers the principles of the advice note to also be relevant to infill panels. The Government has also referred the matter to the Expert Panel for further advice.

Wandle: Standards

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the governance arrangements at Wandle Housing, following the decision by the Regulator of Social Housing to downgrade its governance rating.

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment theyhave made of the governance arrangements at Wirral Partnership Homes, following the decision by the Regulator of Social Housing to downgrade its governance rating.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Responsibility for the assessment of the governance of housing associations lies with the Regulator of Social Housing. Wandle Housing and Wirral Partnership Homes have both been downgraded from G1 gradings to G2. G2 is a compliant grade, which means that the Regulator still considers them to comply with its regulatory standards for governance.Details of the Regulator’s assessment can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/regulatory-judgements-and-regulatory-notices-a-to-z-list

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what changes, if any, they have made to the advice that they give to local authorities and other social housing providers following the fire at Grenfell Tower.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government has worked with the Industry Response Group and Expert Panel to publish an information note to assist building owners who are undertaking remediation work. The information note can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/information-note-for-landlords-and-building-owners-of-tall-residential-buildings-with-acm-claddingIf a local authority building owner considers any of their buildings to be unsafe, they will need to determine what measures are essential to make each building fire safe, taking into account expert advice, and any directions or advice from the local fire and rescue service.The Government will fully fund the removal and replacement of unsafe aluminium composite material cladding on residential social housing buildings over 18m owned by councils and housing associations, with costs estimated at £400m.

Local Government Finance

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they take to ensure that funding is distributed between local authorities in a fair and equitable manner.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government is currently conducting a review of the relative needs and resources of local authorities in England, with a view to setting fresh baseline funding levels in 2020-21. We are working closely with local government representatives and others to consider the drivers of local authorities’ costs, the resources available locally to fund services, and how we should account for these in a way that draws a more transparent and understandable link between local circumstances and resource allocations.

Ministry of Defence

Type 26 Frigates

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what date the first Type 26 frigatewill be in service with the Royal Navy.

earl howe: I refer the noble Lord to the reply given by my hon. Friend, the previous Minister for Defence Procurement (Guto Bebb), in the House of Commons on 23 April 2018 to the hon. Member for Sheffield Central (Paul Blomfield) in response to Question number 904864.



904864 - Type 26 Frigates
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HMS Prince of Wales

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the planned date for HMS Prince of Wales to leave Rosyth for sea trials.

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the planned date for HMS Prince of Wales' first entry into Portsmouth.

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the planned date for HMS Prince of Wales' commissioning ceremony.

earl howe: HMS Prince of Wales is structurally complete and on current plans will commence contractor sea trials in late 2019; her first entry to Portsmouth will take place during those sea trials and her commissioning into the Royal Navy will follow their completion, both on dates that have yet to be determined.

Type 31 Frigates

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is planned for the first Type 31e to replace HMS Argyll when she leaves service; and how long she will have been in commission at that date.

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many frigates will be operational in the Royal Navy in (1) 2024, (2) 2025, (3) 2026, and (4) 2027.

earl howe: The National Shipbuilding Strategy envisages that the Type 31e will undertake a broad range of roles currently delivered by the Type 23 general purpose frigate, of which HMS Argyll is currently the first to leave service in 2023. We want the first Type 31e to enter service in 2023, with all five ships delivered by 2028.The exact dates for the delivery of the Type 31e frigates are yet to be determined so it is too early to release the numbers of ships in service at any one time.

Veterans: Housing

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what precise measures have been developed by the armedservices to ensure that those leaving service have adequate accommodation and avoid rough sleeping after discharge.

earl howe: All Service leavers are provided with information on sources of housing help in their leaving information packs which are issued before discharge. The Joint Services Housing Advice Office (JSHAO) provides a dedicated focal point within the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for housing ​information and advice for those about to return to civilian life. The JSHAO gives regular nationwide briefings advising Service personnel of their housing options. In 2012, the Government changed the law so that serving personnel suffering from a serious injury, illness or disability attributable to their service, and former Service personnel with urgent housing needs, are always given high priority for social housing. The Government has issued guidance strongly encouraging councils to prioritise all members of the Armed Forces and their families for social housing. This is statutory guidance to which councils must pay regard and is published at: www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/allocationaccommodationguide The MOD is developing a new tri-Service policy to provide more comprehensive support to Service personnel and their families as they transition out of the Armed Forces to civilian life. This will include advice and support on housing matters. The MOD will also be covered by the new Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) led statutory requirement scheduled to come into effect this autumn to refer those Service personnel at risk of homelessness when they leave the Armed Forces to the relevant local authority. The MHCLG has also extended the period within which veterans are given priority for Government funded shared ownership schemes, from 12 to 24 months after service. Support is also available from Veterans UK who operate a Freephone helpline (0808 1914218), and the Veterans Welfare Service. The Veterans Gateway can also signpost individuals to the organisation best placed to support, making it easier for veterans to access advice on a range of issues, including housing. The cross-Government Rough Sleeping Strategy is focused on achieving a commitment to halve rough sleeping by 2022 and end it by 2027.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Starlings

lord tebbit: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of studies by the British Trust for Ornithology which show that the population of starlings has fallen by 66 per cent since the 1970s.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government is aware of the British Trust for Ornithology data on starlings. The Government’s wild bird statistics that measure relative abundance show decreases for starlings of 81% in the long term (1970-2015) and 5% in the short term (2010-2015).   The cause of the decline in starlings, although not fully understood, is likely to be linked to food availability and over winter survival. To support starlings and other birds there are agri-environment scheme options that aim to boost food availability. In the period 2008-2014, farms in Higher Level Stewardship agreements, specifically undertaking bird friendly management options, found a sustained 79% increase in starling abundance.

Sewage: Water Treatment

lord tebbit: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of research by the Environment Department at the University of York which found that worms, maggots and flies at sewage treatment plants contain traces of many drugs, including anti-depressants.

lord gardiner of kimble: Researchers at the University of York have published in a peer reviewed journal that earthworms collected at sewage treatment plants contained mean concentrations of 26.20±4.70 ng/g of the anti-depressant fluoxetine (trade name Prozac) (Bean et al. 2017). In a recent paper concerning the effects of low, environmental relevant, concentrations of Prozac on the courtship of starlings (Whitlock et al. 2018), they also refer to work by other researchers showing earthworms at sewage treatment plants to contain other contaminants including pharmaceuticals (Markman et al. 2007 & 2008). There are many other studies globally showing uptake of pharmaceuticals into a variety of invertebrate species.   The uptake of pharmaceutical residues from sewage, sewage effluent and sewage sludge has been shown to negatively impact invertebrates themselves and provides a clear route of exposure to many species of wildlife including birds and bats. The full significance of this is still being assessed. References   Bean, T. G., Arnold, K. E., Lane, J., Bergstrom, E., Thomas-Oates, J. E., Rattner, B., & Boxall, A. B. A. (2017). Predictive framework for estimating exposure of birds to pharmaceuticals. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. DOI: 10.1002/etc.3771   Markman S,Guschina I,Barnsley S,Buchanan K,Pascoe D,et al. (2007) Endocrine disrupting chemicals accumulate in earthworms exposed to sewage effluent. Chemosphere 70: 119–125.   Markman S, Leitner S, Catchpole C, Barnsley S, Müller CT, Pascoe D, et al. (2008) Pollutants Increase Song Complexity and the Volume of the Brain Area HVC in a Songbird. PLoS ONE 3(2): e1674. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0001674   Sophia E. Whitlock, M. Glória Pereira, Richard F. Shore, Julie Lane, Kathryn E. Arnold. Environmentally relevant exposure to an antidepressant alters courtship behaviours in a songbird. Chemosphere, 2018; 211: 17 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.07.074 (12/12)

Starlings

lord tebbit: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of low concentrations of anti-depressants on the courtship and breeding of starlings.

lord gardiner of kimble: The experiments conducted by University of York in collaboration with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) demonstrated that exposing starlings to a maximal environmentally relevant concentration of an anti-depressant (fluoxetine) altered courtship behaviour in wild-caught starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). The males sang less and were more aggressive towards females that had been dosed with an anti-depressant than to the untreated females and in addition the treated females were also initially more aggressive towards males than the untreated females. However there were no effects on female courtship behaviour or on circulating female hormones in treated females. These findings suggest that exposure to this dose of anti-depressant reduced female attractiveness to the male but the reasons why are not clear. Whether these levels of anti-depressants in the environment would have a significant effect on an individual’s fitness or the population as a whole requires further investigation.

Home Office

Offences against Children

lord laming: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many police forces in England and Wales have disbanded their specialist child protection teams and allocated their work to Criminal Investigation Departments.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government does not keep a record of how individual police forces are structured. Team structures and deployment of officers within police forces are rightly decisions for Chief Constables, working with their democratically accountable Police and Crime Commissioners.We recognise the need for police forces to be properly equipped to deal with the changing nature of crime. We have provided significant extra investment through the Police Transformation Fund to support policing to respond to changing crimes and threats including against vulnerable children.

Sir Edward Heath

lord lexden: To ask Her Majesty's Government, futher to the answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 12 July (HL Deb, cols 963–5), what are their reasons for not establishing an inquiry into Operation Conifer conducted by the Wiltshire Police into allegations against Sir Edward Heath.

baroness williams of trafford: I recognise concerns that have been raised by Noble Lords in relation to Operation Conifer, however it is for locally-elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to decide how best to hold their forces to account, and PCCs have the powers to commission an inquiry, should they deem it appropriate. The Government has no plans to launch an inquiry into Operation Conifer.

Refugees: Children

lord dubs: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children in total have been transferred to the UK to date under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016; and of the remaining places, how many children in total have been allocated a place but have not yet been transferred to the UK.

baroness williams of trafford: We remain fully committed to delivering our commitment to transfer the specified number of 480 children under Section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 and are working very closely with participating States, to deliver the scheme in line with their national laws.Over 220 children are already in the UK. We will not provide a running commentary on numbers and will publish the details once all children are in the UK.

Marriage: Young People

baroness hayman: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 5 September (HL Deb, col 1787), what plans they have to review the minimum age of marriage in England and Wales.

baroness williams of trafford: The UK is a world-leader in the fight to stamp out the brutal practice of forced marriage, with our joint Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) which leads efforts to combat it both at home and abroad. We made forced marriage a criminal offence in 2014 to better protect victims and send a clear message that this abhorrent practice is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated in the UK. Forcing someone into marriage is an offence regardless of whether the marriage is legally binding.We are aware of concerns over the use of parental consent in relation to U18 marriages such marriages and will continue to keep this under review.

Commission for Countering Extremism

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the joint statement published by Prevent Watch on 27 July about the Commission for Countering Extremism’s "evidence drive"; and how they intend to respond to the concerns raised in the statement.

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what weight will be given to academic evidence reviewed as part of the Commission for Countering Extremism’s evidence drive compared to evidence from other sources.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government has made no assessment of the statement by Prevent Watch and has no plans to.The Government’s 2015 Counter-Extremism Strategy sets out its commitment to protect communities from the wider social harms, beyond terrorism, caused by extremism. Extremists use their twisted narratives to justify hatred and division, spread intolerance, isolate communities and erode the rights of women and minorities. If left unchallenged these narratives fragment and divide our communities.The Government launched the independent Commission for Countering Extremism in March 2018 alongside a Charter setting out the Commission’s purpose and early outputs. The Charter confirms both that the Commission will have no remit on counter-terrorism policies, including Prevent, and its status as a transparent organisation operating independently from Government.The Commission’s weighting of the evidence it has gathered is a matter for the Commission.

Visas: Pakistan

lord ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current additional cost of a UK visa applied for in Mirpur, compared to one applied for in Lahore, Karachi or Islamabad; whether they have sought to reduce that cost through procurement; and if so, how.

baroness williams of trafford: The cost of applying for a visa itself does not vary anywhere in Pakistan, however, the Mirpur Visa Application Centre is User Pays as opposed to the other sites in Pakistan which are Free To Use. As such use of the Mirpur site attracts a User Pays Fee, which is governed by Fees Regulations and is currently the equivalent of £55 in local currency and can be found on gov.uk under section 3 of https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-regulations-revised-table/home-office-immigration-and-nationality-fees-2018 This amount is the same for all User Pays Centres across the globe and is set at a level only to meet the delivery costs of these sites.If this amount was not charged then HM Government would be unable to provide a service in Mirpur and applicants from in and around that area would have to travel to another site, either in Pakistan or beyond, which they are still free to do, but at their own expense.The costs associated with these sites are bound by the terms and conditions of the current Next Generations Visa Services contracts with VFS Worldwide and Teleperformance and which are currently set to expire on 31 March 2021. Under those terms no re-procurement of these services can take effect before this date.  



HO Immigration and Nationality Fees - April 2018
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Gerry's International

lord ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the current agreement with Gerry's International (PvT) Ltd for visa services will expire.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office do not operate a contract agreement with Gerry's International (PvT) Ltd. The contract for providing Visa Application Centres in Pakistan was awarded to VFS Worldwide Holdings Ltd in 2014 initially for a five year period and extended recently for a further two years until 31 March 2021.

Visas: Skilled Workers

lord allen of kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the independent Migration Advisory Committee to complete its review of the shortage occupation lists; whether they will publish the findings of that review once it has been completed; and whether they intend to implement its recommendations in full.

lord allen of kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the State of Trade Survey: Q3 2017 by the Federation of Master Builders, whether they intend to add carpenters and joiners to the shortage occupation list; and what action they intend to take to address the skills shortage of carpenters and joiners.

baroness williams of trafford: In July, the Government has commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the full composition of the Shortage Occupation List. The MAC has been asked to report by Spring 2019. The review will begin shortly and the MAC will publish its findings and recommendations. The Government will consider all recommendations made by the MAC.

Visas: Migrant Workers

lord allen of kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to introduce the Tier 3 visa for unskilled migrants in order to meet labour shortages.

baroness williams of trafford: The precise way in which the Government will control migration to the UK following exit from the EU is yet to be determined.In July 2017, the Government commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to advise on the economic and social impacts of the UK’s exit from the European Union and also on how the UK’s immigration system should be aligned with a modern industrial strategy. The MAC’s final report is due later this month.We will build a comprehensive picture of the needs and interests of all parts of the UK, taking account of the evidence from the MAC, and look to develop a system which works for all.

Visas: Doctors

baroness northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to making more Tier 5 visas available for the Medical Training Initiative.

baroness northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government what cross-governmental discussions have taken place with regard to making more Tier 5 visas available for the Medical Training Initiative.

baroness williams of trafford: The Medical Training Initiative is a Government Authorised Exchange scheme, a sub-category of our Tier 5 (Temporary Worker) route. None of our Tier 5 (Temporary Worker) sub-categories, including Government Authorised Exchange sub-category, impose a cap. The numbers of participants on each scheme, including the Medical Training Initiative, are however monitored in line with the scheme proposal agreed with the Home Office.The Home Office is in regular contact with all government departments regarding the operation of the UK’s immigration system.

Northern Ireland Office

Health Services: Northern Ireland

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have temporarily to return health powers from the Northern Ireland Assembly to Westminster to avoid any winter health crisis.

lord duncan of springbank: The Government has no plans to temporarily return health powers to Westminster. As the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland stated in Parliament on 6 September, the Government intend to bring forward legislation to support Northern Ireland Departments to continue making decisions in the absence of Ministers where it is in the public interest to do so.

Women and Equalities

Political Parties: Equality

baroness gale: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to commence section 106 of the Equality Act 2010.

baroness williams of trafford: We keep any uncommenced provisions from the Equality Act 2010 under review. However, political parties are responsible for their candidate selection and should lead the way in improving diverse representation. I welcome the many efforts already ongoing from political parties to do so.We believe diversity is important, as reflected in this Parliament as the most gender and LGBT diverse ever, but there is still more to do. The Government Equalities Office continues to work on supporting political participation, we have recently announced a fund to support disabled candidates to seek electoral office.

Political Parties: Females

baroness gale: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the response by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 16 January (HL Deb, cols 527–528), what steps they have taken to consult political parties on increasing the number of women who stand as candidates for political and public office; and what have been the results of any such consultations.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government Equalities Office has met with a range of representatives from political parties to consider what could help to increase the number of women standing for elected office. As part of the response to this the Centenary Fund supported an Ask Her to Stand event in London. 350 women who are interested in standing for elected office heard from women politicians from the main parties and took part in workshops providing practical advice on getting into politics and public life. In addition, the Government Equalities Office has been funding projects through the Government’s £5m Suffrage Centenary Fund that help deliver our aim to increase women’s participation in politics. Some of these projects are providing women with practical training in political skills – for example a political leadership programme for women in Bradford and Birmingham, and training in public speaking and media relations for women in the East Midlands, West Midlands and London.

Home Office: Correspondence

lord lexden: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 20 July (HL Deb, col 1413), when the reply to Catherine Utley will be sent to her.

baroness williams of trafford: I responded to the correspondence from Ms Catherine Utley on 24th August.